Greek farmers demonstrate in front of the parliament in Athens

More than a hundred tractors drove up to Syntagma Square in front of the parliament building in the city center, and farmers from all over the country came to the capital. The police expected thousands of participants that evening.

Greek farmers are demanding lower taxes, cheaper electricity and fuel and stricter import controls. They also protest against the EU’s environmental regulations. In recent weeks, as in other European countries, they have also blocked highways.

• Also read: Farmer protests: “This can happen here too”

“How is it that I get four euros for a liter of olive oil, but the customer in the supermarket pays 14 euros for it?” said farmer Manolis Karkadatsos, chairman of the Farmers of Crete. His colleague Giorgos Charisanis said, “Our problems are the same as everywhere in Europe, but here in Greece the farms are small and the production costs, especially for fertilizer and fuel, are enormous.”

Many farmers are also dissatisfied with government aid after a severe storm in September in the important agricultural region of Thessaly. The government paid those affected between 2,000 and 4,000 euros last year. Last week, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis promised further aid this year in the amount of 5,000 to 10,000 euros each. The government also wants to reduce the energy costs of agricultural businesses and reduce the VAT on fertilizer and animal feed from 13 to six percent.

Mitsotakis told Star TV on Monday that he understood why farmers wanted to hold a “symbolic” rally right in the center of Athens. They coordinated with the protests “in all other European capitals.” But the Greek government has “nothing left to give”.

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